Wednesday, March 31, 2010

...of living. Trying to keep up with a 3 year old and 1 year old has been keeping me rather busy. Of course the 1 year old is just part time, but free time has been hard to come by lately. Summer is all better now. She's been in shorts the past two days and loving it. I couldn't even convince her to wear a jacket on the cool mornings. T-ball has been kind of a disappointment so far. Her first two games and opening ceremonies were cancelled, along with numerous practices before those. I guess outdoor sports are just subject to the weather and it seems like we have been getting our share of rain. I can't imagine being up in Seattle and trying to play t-ball. Her first game is rescheduled for Thursday which just so happens to coincide the the Maunday service at church this week. Big bummer, but I am still excited about her first game. I'm sure she will have a few other family spectators there to cheer her on, but probably not as many as she would've had last Saturday. Darn wet fields.

Today we are going to the zoo again. We did last Wednesday too. I am going to try to make story time at the library though because we missed it last week due to Clint moving Amanda out of her apartment and into one of our houses. So, I went and got Lexie and had just enough time to get to the zoo. It was nice though because we had a picnic and the girls all played on the playground. Then we did the zoo tour and last, but definitely not least, a few carousel rides. I imagine today will be somewhat similar except I will be trying to keep Lexie still enough for story time. Speaking of her, she just got here. She was sad to see her Mommy go, but Amanda told me she just said "Lolli" when they were coming in. :D She said it for the first time last week when we were in the car. Usually, she calls me "Momma." Her name for Clint is officially "Pop Pop." She says it on cue most of the time. She can also say Summer in her own special way too.

She is getting so big. But, not nearly as big as Summer. I was looking at her yesterday and she looks like a 5 year old to me. I keep telling her to stop growing or I'm not going to be able to carry her anymore, but her body is not listening. She tells me she can't anyway so I don't know why I keep asking her to. It's not really hard to believe she is going to be 4 years old in 36 days. She looks it and acts it. Yesterday, we did some dot-to-dot worksheets. After she did five or six, we went back and put stickers on the ones that were correct. She still reads numbers from right to left, and I am having a hard time reinforcing that concept to her. But, all in due time. As long as she can write her letters before kindergarten, right? We've also been working on reading a little too, or maybe I should say letter/word recognition. Phonics too. There is still a long way to go, but it is exciting watching her learn. She truly fascinates me every day.

Yesterday, we practiced t-ball outside. First we threw a few, then did a little batting. She has definitely improved on her swing -- much harder than before. Throwing still has a ways to go, at least if she is going to catch up to Willow. My best friend's little girl is the bomb!!! I know she is proud of her. After we worked on the throwing a little more and taking a few laps around the bases (or should I say trees, a hole in the ground, and the tee), she was ready for ice cream. She wanted to go to the ice cream shop and get some, but I reminded her she has 3 left from our last three trips to various ice cream shops. Yes, I have had A LOT of will power and not eaten her leftovers. She chose the cake batter with Oreos from Stone Cold Creamery over the cake batter with chocolate swirl from Ben & Jerry's and chocolate with brownies in a waffle cone from The Ice Cream Show. We have a lot of ice cream shops in the neighborhood. She is my kind of ice cream girl for sure. She knows the best from the rest -- you gotta have something mixed in! Her r daddy doesn't care for mix-ins and prefers plain ice cream flavors. The ice cream was gone in no time after which she wanted to watch cartoons. We ate dinner while we watched a few HBO fairy tales which put interesting twists on the traditional stories. Clint and I aren't completely sold on them preferring just the normal fairy tale storylines. Summer didn't like the Snow White one so I deleted it from the DVR half way through it. We also watched The Prince and The Frog and The Three Little Pigs.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Summer has still been feverish off and on since Thursday. I called the clinic today, but they said not to bring her in unless her fever goes up. It was only 100.1 when I called this morning. She is coughing and has some drainage, but it is not coming out her nose. Too bad she hasn't learned how to cough it up and spit it out yet.

She got to spend a lot of time with her daddy the past few days since I had a seminar to attend. I'm so glad they are spending more time together. It seems that since his cancer has came back, he has been making more of an effort to do things with her.

Yesterday, she went home with Memaw and Nanny after Sunday dinner at my aunt's house. She came home with a new rock box - a tackle box - with lots of rocks from Alaska. She showed me each of them this morning as soon as she got home. One by one, she put them in my hand. She's so funny about rocks. To some, they are nothing, but she sees beauty in each one. She has quite a collection of them now.

Friday, March 19, 2010

On Wednesday, we went to story time at the library. It was St. Patrick's Day, so Summer was sure to wear green so nobody would pinch her. Of course, her clothes were pink, but the accessories were green - necklace, tiara, bracelet and wand. When we left the house, she still wasn't sure she had enough on, but I assured her she did. She was a little leery of story time because she thought I was going to leave her there, but once we were there, she saw it was fun and I would be right beside her. I was really impressed and will try to make it a weekly thing. They read a few books and watched a video. Then they made a book marker with stickers and markers. Summer really loved that. Before we left, I let her pick a few books and then we checked them out along with a few I had put on hold for her.She was surprised this week with a package from Diggity Kids. She got the complete travel system as a gift from one of the owners of the company. What a nice man! The material is very soft, and she was so excited to spice up her seat in the car with it. Of course, Teddy was right there beside her as always. Thank you so much Diggity Kids for putting a smile on her face and comfort in every car ride!Yesterday, Summer had t-ball practice again. We ran by Target and picked her up a pink bat and a new tee for batting practice at home. Unfortunately, I had to miss practice and ran off with the new bat in my car too. Clint said she was not too into the practice. He had to wake her up from her nap to run an errand and she was still sleepy when practice rolled around. Plus, I think she has allergies. Last night, she was rubbing her eyes and sniffling so I gave her some allergy medicine.

During dinner, she requested we have family coloring time after we were finished. So, after the dishes were cleared away, we headed to her room to color. After that, we played a few games of Candyland. Then she picked out a few books for me to read to her. I only got through the second one which was "The Sleep Book" by Dr. Seuss. After it, she was ready for bed. Not sure if she was already tired or if the story actually convinced her she was. LOL I am so glad that we have moments like this where we are all together doing fun and positive things. I know a lot of kids don't have these times with their parents.

Sometime during the night, she woke up to use the bathroom. I noticed she felt warm, but just thought it was from the clothes and blankets. When she got up again to tell me she was hot and to take of the warm clothes and put on a short sleeved shirt, I almost shrugged it off again. But, the mommy in me knew something was wrong. So, I took her temperature which was 102.4. Bummer! I gave her some Tylenol and put her back to bed. An hour or so later, she came and got in our bed where she still is. I hope the fever is gone when she gets up. She really didn't have any other symptoms and when I asked her if she was hurting anywhere, she said no. Let's hope it was nothing major because Daddy's going to have her today while I go to a seminar. Maybe I won't worry too much while I'm gone, but maybe I will.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Summer is ready for Easter. Yesterday, we went to see the Easter bunny at the mall. On the way in the mall, she asked if the Easter bunny brings you anything. I told her he will bring candy on Easter, but today he will just be there for pictures. When she saw him, she went right up and got in his lap. She really liked him unlike Lexie who just gave him a "I'm not getting anywhere near you" look. She wanted her picture taken with him, but we had to wait on Daddy to get their with money so we headed to the mall playground. The girls had fun which is no surprise. Afterwards, we headed back to the bunny for pics. Lexie was still not wanting to sit in his lap, so Summer got her picture made alone. The flash was bothering her eyes so she rubbed them after every shot, but they turned out pretty good and not too teary eyed. Before she got off his lap, she told me she needed to tell him what she wanted. LOL I guess the Easter Bunny is a little like Santa in her eyes.

Today, Summer practiced some of her letters. She is attempting to write them on her own after she traces them now so that is a step forward. She can't get enough of the workbook type stuff, but she doesn't put nearly as much effort into coloring the pictures when asked in them as she does a regular coloring book. I've been talking to her about pre-school some more, but she still says she doesn't want to go. She is ready to go back to her Kindermusik classes though. She asked about them over the weekend saying she was wondering when it was going to be time for her to start them again. The next session is in a few weeks and I am just excited about them as she is.

T-ball is going pretty good. Her daddy got her a tee over the weekend and either he or I practiced with her when we could. She is using the left handed glove he got her and is throwing the ball just as good as with the other hand. Neither is close to perfect, but that is to be expected at her age. I'm 32, and I still can't throw it perfectly every time. I do encourage her and tell her what a good job she is doing so that she will not get discouraged. So what if I blow a little smoke up her rear? Gotta build that self-esteem up, right? Tonight is her second practice, and I can't wait to see her on the field with the others. Hope I can be a chill mom who doesn't do too much coaching from the sidelines. I want it to be a fun experience for her so I'll try to maintain my cool as she finds her way out there.

Everyday I am so thankful to have her in my life. Kids are such blessings.

Friday, March 12, 2010

No Flash Mom! She closes her eyes on purpose. Don't mind that lazy eye, just look at the cute baby. What is up with that anyway? Darn it! Finally got one with her eyes open!Last night, we went to the Ringling Brothers' Circus with the Lynch's, Lippard's & Anchondo's. It was fun; much better than last year. Of course, my spoiled little one wanted a souvenir before the circus even started. LOL For the record, I did make her wait until after the circus had started. We got there early and watched the pre-show. We didn't go down to the ring side, but it was still fun. Once the circus started, the lights bothered Summer's eyes. I think her eyes must be really sensitive to light. I remember when she was on chemo, they were. I'm not sure if that is a long-term side effect from the chemo she had, but none of the other kids seemed to be bothered by it. The kids all seemed to enjoy it. Amanda called while we were there to see if Lexie could spend the night. Of course, I'll never refuse that if I'm free. :) So, Clint brought her with him. At first, she was still half asleep, but after a while, she clapped and smiled with everyone else. Summer was ready to go before it was over. She wanted to get home and play with her new tiger, which she named White & Black, that came in a pink purse. She said, "I'm really sleepy." I knew she wasn't because she had a good nap. Some of the last acts did manage to gather some of her attention, but she was definitely ready to go when it was over.

Earlier this week we made a trip to Chuck E. Cheese with my Aunt Nean and cousins Katie and Alex. Summer really enjoyed them and didn't even drag me all over the place. She let me sit and talk to my aunt mostly which was a nice surprise. Usually, we are attached at the hip.

Yesterday, we had to go to the doctor with her daddy for his scan. She was pretty well behaved, coloring and eating snacks. We found out that nothing has changed so they consider him to have a stable disease. He will be getting some pills to help keep it in check. So, overall that was good news, but not great since the IL-2 didn't seem to do anything.

Summer is already asking for ice cream today. No, not one of the ice cream sandwiches that we have in the freezer. She wants to go to the ice cream shop. Oh my, what did they start with that all day ice cream shop at the village. :D I am hoping to avoid a trip for ice cream altogether because I don't need anymore. But, we shall see.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

We made it back home safely from our awesome vacation with more luggage than we left with. Yes, two duffel bags full of souvenirs and gifts Summer received or we bought while we were there. She got games, stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons, a Curious George pillow, a Minnie Mouse towel set and lots of other things. The last day we were at Magic Kingdom, she picked a baby Marie doll (from Aristocats). She already has one Marie at home, but this one was so cute that she wanted it too. Who am I to argue with her? It was her wish trip. Of course, we got a few gifts for others so they are not all staying at our house.

The bags are still unpacked. I was home less than twelve hours before I headed to Detroit to spend a few days with my friend Christina. We had a limo last night from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Yep, I'm a tired puppy today. I'm missing my baby, of course. I keep looking at her picture on my phone screensaver. Every time I call her, she is busy so I have yet to talk to her. It's crazy how as a mom, you sometimes want a break. You know, just a few days away. But, when it happens, I am missing her before I even leave. Then she is on my mind constantly. What I wouldn't do for a big hug and kiss from her right now. Pathetic, I know. But, she is my world I guess. I feel so fortunate that she is beating cancer when others we know are not. We came home on the day exactly one year from her diagnosis. So much has happened in the last year. I pray the years ahead are nothing but sunshine and rainbows for us. For everyone. But, we don't live in a fairytale world (although sometimes it seems we do). Nonetheless, I am so thankful to have a healthy, happy little girl in my life. A year ago, I didn't know if she would still be here. But, I am SOOOOOO thankful that she is. Never take your kids for granted. You just never know.....

Friday, March 5, 2010

The Magic Kingdom was our last park adventure on this trip. I decided to skip Epcot and Hollywood Studios and return there since I knew it had a lot of rides that Summer enjoyed. We didn't ride half of the rides we rode before, but we did visit several princesses this time: Belle, Cinderella, Aurora and last, but not least, Snow White. Snow White is Summer's favorite princess and we ended up getting a picture with her for one of the souvenirs. I was amazed at how much time the princesses spent talking to her. On and on they went, speaking in soft, sweet voices.Summer, as usual, was ready to get a souvenir before the day was half way through. I kept trying to get her to want to ride more rides, but all she wanted was to pick out a souvenir for herself and Lexie. I think the thing she liked best at the park yesterday was a playground in Toon Land. If she went down the slide once, she went down thirty times. The trip was all about her, so I am just glad she had a good time. The first thing she wanted to ride when we got to the park was Snow White's Scary Adventures. Then she wanted to ride the Winnie the Pooh ride. We rode it twice. We went in Mickey's house this time and ended up getting to see him and Minnie again. They were at our village earlier that morning, along with Pluto, Goofy & Belle, but you can never see them enough. It is neat because they come here twice a week to see the kids. The first time Mary Poppins came instead of Belle. Two other days, Universal sends over a character or two. Earlier this week it was Dora. Not sure who it will be today. The only other rides she rode yesterday were the Tea Party (spinning tea cups) and Dumbo. No Peter Pan, It's a Small, Small World, space ship, race car, Aladdin or carousel rides for her that day (she rode those the first visit in addition to the ones listed above). We did get to see a different parade on our way out. Summer got to dance with Baloo during it and had a great time. At first she just sat in her stroller and watched not wanting to join in the dancing fun (she was ready for souvenirs, LOL). But, after a few minutes, she got up and danced with me.

Last night was Christmas here at the village. Santa and Mrs. Santa were here. There were horse drawn carriage rides. There were Christmas decorations everywhere. After Summer sat on Santa's lap, she got to go pick a present. I knew what she was going to pick before she did: a FurReal baby kitten. They really think of everything here and make the visit special for all the kids here. Every day when we returned from the parks, there was a special surprise waiting for Summer on our kitchen table. I can't say enough good things about this place. Well, I better run. Summer wants ice cream for breakfast!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

What a whirlwind of a week! Tuesday we went to SeaWorld. We arrived at the park just before 10:00 a.m. and rushed to the the dolphin cove for the dolphin feeding. Summer got free fish to feed them with her pink Give Kids the World button. She didn't want to touch the fish though. I did finally get her to feed one of the dolphins the last fish. They were so friendly and swam right up to us. We got to pet them and I was surprised at they way they felt. Not slimy at all like a expected. After that, we viewed our pics and Summer decided that was what she wanted for her souvenir. Of course, she did not want it in a frame, but it came in one and there it remains....to her dismay. She wants it out so she can put it with her "collection." She has the pic of her, BJ and Baby Bop from Universal and a few postcards which make up her collection. There were a few rides at the park, including a carousel and a few spinning rides which she loves! Luckily, I can still ride them with her cause Daddy definitely can't. We saw lots of cool aquatic animals and a few good shows while we were there. She really enjoyed the Pets Ahoy show which starred mostly dogs and cats. After it was over, we headed back to the village so we could enjoy the pool some more. After dinner, we went to the icecream palace for a treat. Summer took her cotton candy she got at SeaWorld so she could put it in an ice cream cone. Not sure where she got that idea from. That night she played putt-putt for the first time. I think her daddy finally got her to hold the club semi-right by the end of our 7 holes.

Yesterday, we got up and ate breakfast while daddy went to the walk-in clinic down the street to discover he had an infection in his arm below where his picc line was a few weeks ago. He got a shot in the rear, :D, and a few prescriptions to knock it out. While he was gone, we went to the horse corral and Summer took a ride on Ginger. When he returned and ate breakfast himself, we headed to Animal Kingdom. The safari experience was pretty cool, just like being in Africa. One part of the park featured a veterinarian office where they treat and do check-ups on all the animals at all of the Disney parks plus any injured animals they find along the way. Summer was completely enthralled by the vet talking about animals they had treated and showing their x-rays. But, afterwards when I asked her if she still wants to be a vet, the answer was no. Now she wants to be nothing when she grows up. She did finally decide she will just be an "eater." LOL We have a long ways to go though before she really decides what she wants to be in life.

Last night we went to the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament just down the street. It was a great experience for us all. No silverware, but Summer did say they plates were silver. :) Our team was the green team which was the bad guy. He almost won, but of course in the end did not. I am glad we got a good discount there because it was rather expensive. But, I guess we were worth whatever it would cost anyway.

Today we are headed back to the Magic Kingdom for our last full day here. I am sad to see this vacation come to an end, but all good things must I suppose.